Chapter 780: Greeting Gift
Staring at the calligraphy, Zhang Yuelu could not help but think of the impending war in Fenglin.
But since the military action in Fenglin had been unanimously approved by the three Deputy Grand Masters and the Golden Tower Council, the key idea was to use ominous weapons only when absolutely necessary.
This Fenglin conflict was not the Daoist Order’s original intention, but a sudden incident. On the surface, the Daoist Order had indeed acted out of necessity.
If the war ended in victory, the greatest beneficiary would be the Taiping Sect, so much so that it was hard not to suspect whether this had been part of a long-planned scheme to empower oneself by nurturing an enemy.
If there had indeed been a hidden ploy, it would not have been deployed at the last minute. It likely had been planted several generations ago, but was only revealed now. The predecessors planted the tree for the successors to enjoy the shade.
In this regard, noble families might have many flaws, but they excelled in policy continuity, especially old houses like the Li family, whose orderly succession and strong cohesion made it almost impossible for decisions to die with their makers, nor for orders to reverse overnight.
Put bluntly, Zhang Yuelu suspected the Li family had a hand in fueling this Fenglin war. Throughout history, battle merit had always been the most valued and had the most immediate impact, unlike finance or civil administration, which were slow to show results.
Still, Zhang Yuelu did not voice her doubts. She knew that even if she asked, the Heavenly Preceptor would not answer them. If he intended to say something, he would take the initiative. Besides, at this stage, whether it was true or not no longer mattered. The Daoist Order could not afford to lose this battle.
This united front against outsiders was one of the few remaining shared principles among the three Daoist sects. That “outsider,” however, probably did not include the Imperial Court, which was, in a sense, considered Daoist.
But Fenglin was certainly an outsider. During the last Western Region war, the Taiping Sect contributed little due to their being the furthest from the Western Region. Most of the burden fell on the Quanzhen Sect. This was why Ning Lingge, an Omniscient Sage from the Quanzhen Sect, had once served as the Tiangang Hall Master.
The Taiping Sect had not dragged the Quanzhen Sect down then. But now, to avoid interference or betrayal from the other two sects, the Taiping Sect would surely pull them onto the war chariot together.